Compulsions
by JuniperLemon
Summary: Whenever he is nervous, Sam gets a strong urge to clean. Good thing Dean is always there to help him.


"Dean? How long?" The younger hunter squirmed in his seat. He tapped his fingers against the pale leather of the Impala's interior. Tap-tap-tap... Tap-tap-tap.

"How am I supposed to know?!" Dean snapped at his little brother. The taller man's increasing fidgeting was beginning to wind Dean up the wall.

Sam pulled his jacket tighter around his body trying to chase away the cold. The elder brother sighed and turned the heat up another notch.

The stakeout had already lasted most the night and the boys were beginning to get restless. The abandoned warehouse that they were watching seemed cliché but they still kept their eyes trained on the dark building. Dean rolled his eyes as Sam fidgeted nervously. They had a tip off from a friend of Bobby's that a vampire nest had developed here so they volunteered to check it out.

Sam shifted and muttered, "Something strange is going on here."

Dean hummed in agreement before checking his watch. Sam sat absorbed in his own thoughts so jumped when Dean started up the engine.

"We'll have to come back tomorrow night... That's if they don't come to us first." Dean pulled away from the warehouse wearily. Sleep called desperately out to him.

The Midnight black Impala came to a stop outside the motel room the boys were renting. Without a word, the two men pulled themselves from the car, grabbed their bags and shuffled into the room. They passed the kitchenette and living space before throwing their gear down onto the beds. Dean claimed the one closest to the door while Sam got the one by the bathroom.

The elder brother collapsed on his bed, stretching out. His eyes slid closed as he sighed in satisfaction. Sam glanced over his shoulder at his brother. He bit his bottom lip nervously.

"Umm, Dean?"

The man grunted in reply. He stayed still aside from his chest rising and falling slowly.

"Do you really think that they'll come after us?" He shifted from one foot to the other.

Dean peaked open one eye and peered up at Sam, "Honestly, Sammy? Yeah. Most likely."

The younger man gnawed at his lip, a nervous habit. The metallic taste of blood hit his tongue as his teeth broke the skin. Dean watched as his brother twitched in barely hidden panic.

"Hey, hey, hey, Sammy! It's fine! Don't worry about it. We'll be fine." He tried to reassure his little brother. He leant up on his elbows and leant his head like a confused puppy.

Sam took a breath. He hated not being prepared to defend himself and Dean. He felt out of control with nothing ready and prepared. He'd learnt that he struggled to not be in control so avoided it at all costs.

"Yeah, of course." Sam smiled but on the inside his stomach ached.

* * *

It was early morning and the pale light streamed in through the gap in the thin curtains. Dean had been asleep for almost an hour while Sam stared up at the bare ceiling. He carded his hand through his hair and a groan rumbled from his chest.

He threw the blanket from his body and swung his legs from the bed. He ran his hand over his face and sighed as his eyes scanned the messy motel room. Shoes scattered by the door, clothes littered about. That's without mentioning the take out cartons building up in the kitchenette.

The tall man pulled the blanket back over and flattened out the the creases and wrinkles. His eyes instinctively glanced over at the door every few minutes.

He stood up in the room before pacing back and forth. He paced silently in an attempt to leave Dean asleep. Every few minutes he'd glance nervously at the door and in his mind he formulated plan after plan. His mind wanted him to be ready, to be prepared.

Mid-stride, Dean's clothes caught his eye again. They were strewn across the room leading to the bed which his brother now occupied. The younger hunter shuffled forward, collecting the articles of clothing into his arms. He folded each piece of material into a small rectangle. The items were folded into the same size before being placed on the chair beside Dean's bed.

He pulled the covers gently further over his brother and flattened out the creases around his the other hunter's form. He moved slowly and without noise to keep his brother in gentle unconsciousness. Dean stirred causing Sam to back away.

The tall man fidgeted, rubbing his hands together before silently padding towards the kitchenette. On the way he swept up his duffle bag and placed it onto the small table. He dug around in the bag until his fingers came in contact with the items he kept there for emergencies exactly like these.

He often had moments like this when he had to keep himself distracted and to keep his mind from over working. When worried, his mind desperately searched for a way out or distraction. He had originally discovered this distraction a year or so ago while working on a case in D.C. He had grown nervous after a run in with a Shifter that was being tricky. He had stored antibacterial spray, bleach and plastic yellow gloves in his bag since then.

He had been hiding his habits from Dean, worried about what he'd say. He pulled out the antibacterial spray and a cloth. Silently, he sprayed the table and wiped it down. He smiled satisfied before moving on to the kitchen area. He piled up the cartons and dumped them in the trash.

He wiped down the work surface before spraying the antibacterial spray across the dirty top.

The empty beer bottles lay scattered around the small room. Sam rolled his eyes and mentally scolded his brother's laziness. He swiftly collected the glass bottles making sure that they didn't clink in his large hands.

His eyes ghosted over the door. The thin wooden door. To him, it looked precariously weak especially if it were to come up against a vampire.

He lined the bottles up along side the sink. He matched them in pairs and made sure they all were perfectly in line with each other. The perfectionist in Sam sighed happily at the sight of order that had over come the kitchenette. It had kept him busy for a while too.

He grabbed his bleach and poured it over the metal sink. Snapping on his yellow gloves, his rubbed the sides with the bleach. After a few minutes, the fumes from the chemicals began to go to his head making him dizzy.

Sam rinsed away the bleach and moved on to the bathroom, on the way he pulled Dean's dark boots into a pair and laid them by the door next to his own. Looking up at the door he backed away.

Over an hour later, the bathroom hadn't been this clean in many months. The smell of bleach and antibacterial sprays tinged the air. Sam looks up at the clock tiredly. It was nearly 6am. Strong light was beginning to filter through the thin curtains onto Sam's empty bed.

He yawned and pulled off his gloves, shoving them in his bag along with the cleaning supplies. He collapsed back onto his large bed and pulled the blanket up around his shoulders tightly.

Glancing around the room, Sam settled down into his lumpy mattress. He'd burnt off some nervous energy and gladly began to slip off to sleep.

* * *

"Sam!" The younger man's eyes shot open suddenly, "Did you touch my clothes?!"

Sam groaned, dropping his head back onto the pillow. He closed his eyes again and pulled the blanket over his long haired head. For a second he actually thought there had been some sort of emergency! The vampires could have been attacking.

"Oi! Sam!" Dean rips the blanket off his little brother's thin frame. "I asked you something!"

Sam begrudgingly peeped open his weary eyes. His eyebrows rose expectantly.

"Wha...?"

Dean folded his arms, looking more like a teenage girl than a full grown hunter, "Did you touch my clothes?" The man glanced by the door. "And my shoes?"

Sam just shrugged but didn't take his eyes off his brother. He was waiting for the inevitable judgement.

"Dude? You can't tell me it was the frickin' cleaning fairies!"

Sam groaned, "Dean, I don't want to talk about it." He pulled his blanket tight so the creases fell out.

"Sam... Why are you doing this again?"

"Again?"

"You think I haven't noticed the other times, Sammy?" His voice lost all fight and instead became sympathetic. "The overwhelming stench of bleach and sprays. The way your fingers had been worked to the bone. Not to mention, the over night over-haul of a frankly gross motel room."

Sam looked down at the blanket that was pooled on his lap. He picked at the threads, "I know."

"It needs to stop, man. One day, you're gunna wear yourself too thin and snap. We are leaving motels in cleaner states than what they were like brand new."

"I know... I'm sorry, Dean."

"Don't apologize. Just, the next time you're worried just wake me up that way we can get though it together... Sound good?" The elder brother gave Sam a reassuring smile. He patted him gently on the back.

"Yeah. Thanks, man."

"Hey, it's my job!" Dean flashed a smile before leaving to fetch coffee.


End file.
